Costello motoring towards record

His prolific run of success has taken the rider's career to new heights and provided adequate compensation after he lost the ride on Character Building in this year's Grand National when the horse was sold a week before the race.

Costello's return this season – 28 winners and counting after recording his third double in four days at Leicester yesterday – already puts him firmly on course to beat the career-best 38 that he recorded in 2009-10. The main thing, says Malton trainer John Quinn's stable jockey, is staying in one piece and bouncing back from the inevitable disappointments.

"I've been with John for 10 years, I'm part of the furniture, but made the decision a year ago to get a new agent, Dave Roberts, so I can get more opportunities," explained Costello as he returned north after his Cheltenham double on Wayward Prince and Midnight Chase.

"He's got contacts down south, I know a lot of people up here, and there weren't a lot of big jobs coming up or good spares. It's working out – I'm still with John – but I've done 10,000 miles in five weeks. It's worth it.

"Character Building was disappointing but, as the trainer says, the owners pay the bills and they wanted Nina Carberry. It was disappointing, but I understand – that's racing. You move on.

"As a jockey, you accept it. You get jocked off. You get jocked on. The main thing is staying in one piece – look at Ruby Walsh with a broken leg and Christian Williams with both arms broken."

Mention of Williams highlights racing's unpredictable nature. A year ago, Costello, 27, was sidelined for weeks with a knee ligament injury. He even took to walking in an equine pool to build up his strength.

Yet, in a pile-up at Cheltenham's second last fence, Williams broke both arms after being brought down by another horse – and left Costello clear to win on the Ian Williams-trained Wayward Prince, now a 16-1 chance for the RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Thirty-five minutes later, and while Williams was being stretchered into hospital, Costello made all on Neil Mulholland's Midnight Chase in the long-distance chase – the aforementioned Character Building was pulled up despite benefiting from the services of champion jockey Tony McCoy.

Costello's fifth win over fences on the eight-year-old came in what is a significant National trial – Don't Push It, this year's McCoy-inspired Aintree hero, was second to Ferdy Murphy's progressive Galant Nuit 12 months ago in the corresponding race.

However, the winning rider thinks Midnight Chase will be saved for the 2012 National when he will be nine. A more realistic prospect for his first ride in the race is stablemate I'moncloudnine who runs in Sunday's Becher Chase over the Aintree obstacles.

Fourth at Wincanton recently, Costello also cannot wait to return to the scene of Monet's Garden's emotional win when the Nicky Richards-trained veteran beat a high-quality field three weeks ago. Even being considered for the ride illustrated the progress that the jockey has made.

"Midnight Chase won for me at Cheltenham's first meeting of the year. Then Monet's at Aintree. Then back to Cheltenham for two winners – it doesn't get much better than winning big races at the two best jumping tracks in the country."

Costello, who lives just outside Malton, has won more than 200 races – a considerable achievement for a jockey who endured a run of 105 losers before getting off the mark.

Having taken his grandmother's advice and prolonged his education, Costello has thrived at Quinn's yard with horses like Leslingtaylor, a former Swinton Hurdle winner. Elite Hurdle wins on the ill-fated Crow Wood, and also Kings Quay, showed that the Irishman had the riding ability.

Yet now Costello's balance, particularly over fences, has been spotted, and praised, by experts like John Francome, the former champion jockey and Channel Four pundit. Costello, he says, is no longer one of racing's best kept secrets – praise indeed.

And, while his timing in the saddle is first-class, his decision to team up with Williams and Mulholland, two rising stars of the training ranks, has the potential to pay off handsomely in the years ahead.

This season has not been without its mishaps – the rider spent part of his honeymoon in hospital after a shin wound became infected while swimming off Minorca.

"My wife Aimee didn't mind too much, she had five days of shopping," he laughs.

He says he is incredibly grateful to those who make their spare room available to him – Mulholland as well as top jockeys like Richard Johnson and Andrew Thornton.

His Cheltenham double came less than 24 hours after he won successive races at Newcastle. He is becoming accustomed to the motorway network as he continues his pursuit of winners.

"I don't like counting winners too much," says Costello, one of the most popular figures in Yorkshire racing because of his quiet modesty.

"You can win one day and be in hospital that night. I'll still be around – John Quinn has some very nice horses like Ballybriggan, who I was third on at Cheltenham. But, at 27, now's the time to give it my best and I'm having some of the best days of my career."